Hubris
by ShippoTheCRAZYTREKKIE
Summary: The time has come for answers. An elderly Rin finally asks Sesshomaru the hardest question of all: Why? Prepare yourself for the tragedy of Sesshomaru's past and meet the shattered family you never knew he had. Edit complete as of 12-28-08.
1. Chapter 1: In which revenge is taken

Welcome to _Hubris,_ version 2.0. There are three main differences in this version:

1. I'm making an effort to be a little more personable on this version than I was on the last. I completely forgot to add any author's notes or disclaimers, or anything on the last one. Sorry!

2. I've edited the text of the story and corrected some errors.

3. I've updated the story with the more recent events including the return of Sesshomaru's mother and the events of chapter 518 of the manga. Google it if you don't already know.

If you've already read this one, I hope you'll find something new and interesting. If you haven't, then you definitely will!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the manga, Sesshomaru and Rin in particular, but Inuyasha, Izayoi, and anyone else I happened to mention. The versions of InuPapa (Kaemon) and SessMom (Nishi) that are included, brief though their appearances may be, are my creations and any other OCs including Mizuki, Amarante, etc. are mine. If you want to do anything with them or feel the inspiration to express your reactions through art, send me a message or leave a comment and maybe post them on Deviantart if you have an account. I have an one and have put a link on my profile.

Anyhoo, read on and enjoy _Hubris_ 2.0

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Metal cracked upon metal. The sounds of mortal combat rang through the ancient forest. The orange radiance of sunset filtering through the massive trees glinted from slashing blades. White charged black in search of long-awaited vengeance. The assailant in white landed blow after blow, fighting equally with his claws and his sword; while the black-haired defender, though possessing the skill of a superior demon slayer, could barely parry any of his opponent's strikes, each clash draining him as he became weaker and weaker.

His years of training had taught him that once a demon grew tired toying with a slayer, it would strike the killing blow. That moment came sooner than the man in black anticipated, throwing him backward into a particularly large tree where his expiring body slumped into a pathetically bruised and bloody heap. The aggressor sheathed his sword and drew another blade from a second scabbard.

As he held the katana over the mangled body, it pulsed. The sword drew the small blue-green imps that appeared around the body onto the mortal plane, catching them in the act of extracting the slayer's soul for the journey to the Underworld. When the white-haired man swung the blade at the creatures, they fell to pieces that dissolved into wisps of smoke. The assailant put away his sword and waited as the slayer's body became whole once more.

Almost out of nowhere, a pale hand shot out of the darkness and lifted the slayer by the throat, pinning him against the tree as finely sharpened claws dug into the back of his neck. The blood-red sunset enhanced the twin red marks, as thin as slits from a fine blade, that coiled around the pale wrist. The white figure's lips parted into a cruel, fanged smile, distorting the red stripes that ran along his cheekbones.

In a deep whisper came the voice of the white-haired man, "When your ancestor fought for a mercenary army under the employ of the Demon Lords of North and East over 300 years ago, he helped kill those that I loved the most. Since then, it has been my sworn duty to track down each of those descendants who followed his path as a demon slayer, to earn vengeance for all that was stolen from me. You are the last. This is for Mizuki-chan." The pale figure plunged the claws of his free hand through the slayer's body and discarded the carcass against the tree. Turning on his heel, he dissolved into the thick shadows cast by the falling night.

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Please comment nicely as soon as you feel the need. I would love feedback! Read on!


	2. Chapter 2: In which a nap is taken

Hi, everybody,

Here's chapter 2 of the new edited version. I'm getting through this edit pretty slowly. Maybe tonight, I'll get three or four chapters up. We just finished bathing our fluffy white dog and his scrawny half-brother. Seriously, no joke. (If you caught the InuYasha reference in that last statement, kudos! I thought it was hilarious when my Mom brought home our youngest puppy and told me that he was half brothers with our other one! I live with a real-life Inuyasha and Sesshomaru!)

I don't own anybody that comes up in this chapter. I think I hit OCs in the next chapter.

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"Milord! Milord!" A small green toad-like creature scampered down to the open gates of a vast mansion, situated on a cliff overlooking the western sea. A familiar figure hiked up the cobbled path leading to the house.

"Sesshomaru-sama, welcome ba…" The master of the house, a tall pale being with silver bangs swishing across the blue crescent moon on his forehead and luminous white hair tucked behind sharply pointed ears, walked slowly and tiredly up the road. No sooner had he walked through the gate than he dismissed the creature with a wave of a long red and white kimono sleeve.

"It is done, Jaken," he sighed with a tinge of what, in normal people, might be called relief. Without pause, he walked straight past the creature, through the courtyard, and up to the main house, in search of bath, bed, and a warm meal.

Some time later that evening, as the Lord slept, a messenger came to the mansion. He left promptly, but only after passing his news to Jaken, who then scurried to his master's chambers to deliver it. He skittered to a dead stop outside the screen, slightly panting and quite afraid of what he would have to do next. Waking the master was the greatest of the mansion's taboos, but the information he bore could not wait. Jaken slid the door open and entered, closing it silently behind him.

In the middle of the room, the largest in the house, on a pile of silk that spanned from wall to wall, a gigantic white dog curled in a peaceful sleep. A blue crescent moon arched across its forehead, barely visible in the pre-dawn glow. This was Lord Sesshomaru's true form. He was a dog demon, the son of the great General Kaemon, the Lord of the Western Lands. Sesshomaru was the General's only legitimate heir, so when Kaemon had died protecting his mistress, the human princess, Lady Izayoi, and their newborn half-breed son, InuYasha, the lands and title fell to Sesshomaru, as well as one of his father's three swords, Tenseiga. That sword had the power to bring life back into those who were only just beyond the threshold of death. Jaken had had 'memorable' experiences with the sharp edge of that blade. Jaken was the Lord's second-in-command, and he often took charge of the household while the master was out. But right now he had a different, and much more dangerous job to do. The vassal would have to wake Sesshomaru, while avoiding the Dog Lord's razor-sharp fangs and the powerful jaws they were attached to.

Jaken cleared his throat and began in a slightly squeakier voice than usual, "Um… Master?" He stopped and cringed back against the door as the hulking form stirred. An earthquake of a growl grew in the demon's throat. His great eye flashed open to reveal a field of blood red marred only by the onyx-black slit that rolled to glare at the cowering toad.

"Why have you woken me, Jaken?" the creature rumbled.

"A messenger came… From—from the village… It's Lady Rin, Master—she requests your presence…" The beast's glaring expression suddenly sobered to the point where he looked only mildly miffed.

"Leave me, Jaken." The small creature was happy to oblige, scrambling out of the room as fast as his stubby green legs could carry him. Only a growl from the demon reminded the toad-like being to close the door behind him.

In the room, the Lord began shifting back to his human form. His ears slid down, his fangs shrank, and his eyes became white with an amber center. The Lord's well-muscled form stood silhouetted against the thin screen wall that was just beginning to let in the first light of dawn. He yawned and stretched in a fairly canine manner, then proceeded to get dressed.

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I'd love some nice reviews. Just a thought...


	3. Chapter 3: In which friends are reunited

Here's chapter 3. I changed the ending banter a bit, but otherwise it's pretty much the same. This is the longest chappie so far.

Taro and Hoshi are the first two OCs introduced in this story unless you count the guy who got killed in the first chapter; he was kinda a character. Everybody else belongs to Takahashi-sensei, who is full of win and happy.

Enjoy!

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About half an hour later, Sesshomaru was dismounting his two-headed steed in front of the largest house in the small village at the foot of the seaside mountain. He stabled his dragon-like beast himself, as there was no attendant to do it for him; no mortal could handle the beast anyway.

A small fire crackled in an earthen pit in the middle of the room casting the two humans nearby in living bronze. A young girl sat by the fire, clumsily stirring a foul-smelling broth as she stared fearfully at the figure pushing his way through the bamboo curtain of the door. As the Dog Lord headed to the back of the room, her eyes followed him. The Lord paused by her hearth and turned his head toward the now-fidgeting girl. He raised his eyebrow questioningly at her and continued to the area in the back of the room partitioned off by a thin screen. The other figure, a middle-aged man, stepped between the Dog Lord and the curtain. By his domineering posture and relatively fine clothes, Sesshomaru gathered that this man was used to being an authority figure in his little world.

Pulling together what pathetic bits of courage he possessed, the small man threatened the demon Lord, "My mother may have summoned you, demon, but I'm warning you: no funny business."

"You're warning me?" Sesshomaru said in a low, level voice, amber eyes piercing through the little man's defenses. "There is nothing you could do to me. Even if you had an entire clan of demon slayers with arrows trained on me, they couldn't hurt me. Believe me, they've tried." He brushed past the man and slipped through the gap in the drapes.

There, on a thick mattress on the floor, sat an ancient-looking woman. As Sesshomaru entered the room, she looked up and smiled, the youthful, mischievous brightness of her eyes belying her age.

"Sesshomaru-sama, it's so good to see you again after all these years. I told you to come visit me every so often," she said as the Lord sat on a nearby cushion.

"I apologize, Rin-chan. I've been very busy lately."

"Oh, really? Well, you'll just have to tell…" Rin began to cough, a horrible rattling noise that she was trying her hardest to stifle with her hands. When the fit had subsided and she removed her hands from her face, her palms were covered in blood. The man who had attempted to block Sesshomaru's path earlier rushed into the room, shortly followed by the girl who carried a tray upon which sat a cloth and a bowl of whatever it was she had been stirring.

"It's all right, Taro," Rin's now raspy voice growled. "That was no worse than any of my fits all morning. Leave us." Taro bowed his way out with a piercing glare at the Lord, who took it as though the daggers springing from the man's eyes were simply a pair of blunt chopsticks. The girl passed the cloth to Rin, waited until the older woman had wiped the blood from her hands, then gave her the bowl and hastily left.

"Who's the girl?" Sesshomaru asked, as Rin began drinking the concoction with a grimace.

"She's my granddaughter, Hoshi," she replied, once finished. "Taro's only child. Her mother died about three years ago."

"She's quite similar to another young lady I knew a long time ago." Sesshomaru smiled one of his rare half-grins at Rin, who childishly beamed back.

"Actually, I asked you here to talk about that girl." Here Sesshomaru froze. His smile faded and was replaced by his usual blank look, now poorly masking his feelings of dread. By this point, he realized where Rin was trying to take this conversation. He had agonized over this moment, prayed it would never come, hoped he would not have to relive the painful memories associated with the answer to the question he knew was coming.

"Yes?"

"When you found me dead in the forest all those years ago, slaughtered by Koga's wolves, why did you use the Tenseiga on me? Why did you bring me back to life and then go on to take me in and raise me as family when you hated humans and everything about them?" There was a brief, awkward silence.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm an old woman now. This has been plaguing me since you left me to live with Kaede after your brother's quest had ended. And by your reaction, I can tell that it's been the same for you. Only for much longer…"

"It's a long story."

"And? Does it look like I'm getting any younger?"

"Fine. I'll—I'll tell you the whole story. It's something I've never told anyone else before."

"I'll take it to my grave."

Sesshomaru sighed and closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "To tell this story, I will have to take you back to before the Feudal Era that has lasted throughout your many years, to the time when Japan was ruled by the four Demon Lords. This is _my_ tale. I will warn you now, it is neither happy nor brief."

"Just tell me."

"Alright." And he began his tale:

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Cookies for anybody who reviews. My brother makes the best sugar cookies! I'll get some for you if you review nicely. Lurfz to all!


	4. Chapter 4: In which a story is begun

Alright first major change: I split chapter 4 in half. It was abnormally long, and this is a good place to end a chapter.

Disclaimer: I own Mizuki! She's mine, and I love her like my own imaginary sister. Having written a piece that is particularly emotional for me, I am quite attached to her. Her name means "beautiful moon" which I felt was appropriate for a character who has a moon on her forehead! The concepts of Inu no Taisho and Sesshomaru's mother belong to Takahashi-sensei; I'm simply elaborating on their relationships and a possible reason for their split.

Enjoy! I'm almost done with the edit of Chapter 4.5 (officially chapter 5). I should have it up sometime this evening... make that morning. It's 2:22 AM. Staying up late for the win!!!

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"As you know the ruling family of the Western Lands is an Inu clan, a Dog clan. However not all the Demon Lords were Dogs. In fact, the family of the South is a Kitsune clan, Foxes; the Northerners belong to an Urufu clan, Wolves; and the members of the family of the East are Cats, a Neko clan. The Creators divided the power long ago, but most of the clans have never been at peace.

"Before I was born, the Lord of the West, my father, and the Lord of the East were at war. Both sides were evenly matched, battling for one hundred years in cruel bloody mayhem. Finally, my father decided to put an end to it. He proposed that his first son and the Cat Lord's first daughter would be married when they assumed adult forms at the age of twenty years. The East agreed and, less than a year later, I was born.

"Father kept my fate from me until I was ten. 'Halfway to maturity,' he called it. At about that time, he and my mother had another child, a daughter. They named her Mizuki.

"I don't think you know this but all demons are born in their animal form, and cannot transform for several weeks. Mizuki was a bright, happy puppy right from the start. She had the same silver hair as I do and a similar crescent moon on her forehead; both are family traits. Mizuki's spirited personality is probably the characteristic that the two of you both share. Her smile could melt the snow of a thousand mountains, and a thousand flowers would bloom at the sight of her.

"At first, I was apprehensive. After all, a wrinkly, bumbling ball of silver fuzz would be a little startling to any ten-year old boy, even a demon. In time, I grew more and more comfortable around her. I don't know if it was her endearing personality or simply the realization that I would be stuck with her for a while that melted me. She and I, eventually, became the best of friends even though I was so much older than she.

"However, Mizuki-chan's arrival was a mixed blessing. Shortly after she was born, my mother, Lady Nishi, and my father got into an argument about my betrothal. For months, they battled over Father's decision until, six months after Mizuki's birth, she left without a word, leaving both her son and daughter behind, having apparently lost the argument.

"I did not speak for a long while after Mother left. I felt that there was something more I could have done, something that could have made her stay. I was silent because I was depressed, and I was silent because I was angry with myself, but mostly because I felt that it was my fault; she had left because of me and my birthright and I couldn't bear it.

"I sat in my room in a month-long silence, waiting for her to come back home. She never did. Afterward, I decided that my vigil had been a mistake; it made the parting that much more difficult to bear. I had always felt like I could trust Mother to be there for me even when Father seemed to care nothing for my wishes. But, then Mother failed me.

Early on, I learned that I couldn't trust the ones I loved to support me, a notion cemented by events that took place many years later. That realization was one of the first steps along the road.

"The thing that finally brought me out of my silence was Mizuki. Even though Mother and I were close, I knew that my sister would never have that opportunity. It was then that I decided that to take care of her and try to fill the void that Mother's absence left. I was her playmate, teacher, a shoulder to cry on, and any other position she needed me to fill. I told her stories about Mother, everything from my earliest memories to her last days at the mansion. But when Mizuki-chan was about ten years old, not unlike you when I first took you in, our world changed and came crashing down around us, because I made a stupid, adolescent mistake.

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How's that for foreshadowing? The abrupt ending - it works every time.

Review please, I'm on my knees begging. I wouldn't be staying up until the wee hours of the morning if this didn't mean something to me! Let me know if it means something to you too!


	5. Chapter 5: In which a mistake is made

I was going to try to get this up this morning at 2:45 AM but I couldn't stay up any more. I had moved beyond all sanity and went mildly psycho, especially after giving one of my OCs a nickname that one of my friends used on me when I cosplayed as this OC for Halloween. I flipped, and it was awesome!

Mizuki, Amaya, and Ame-chan are mine. Well, you can take Amaya, I don't really care. I love Ame-chan and Mizuki almost as much as Sesshy does but in a very, very different fashion if you catch my drift at the end of the chapter. I don't roll like that. In fact, I don't roll at all but that's beside the point. Moving on, Sesshy is property of Takahashi-sensei, and I think he's the only non-OC in this entire chapter!

Anyhooz, enjoy!

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"When Mizuki was only ten years old, I had reached the age Father's contract had agreed upon for the wedding, the point where a yokai stops aging. I looked then, over three hundred years ago, exactly as I do now.

"In the early fall of that year, Kaemon-sama had an assembly of all his allies. By this time, he had succeeded in uniting the Lords and most of the smaller demon tribes. The Lords, tribal leaders, and any of their descendants who had assumed adult form were allowed to attend. I was not the only one who was to be attending for the first time.

"The Heiress of the East, my bride-to-be, was also there. We were to be married in the spring, and this was the first time I had ever laid eyes upon her. Her name was Amaya. We first met at the opening banquet to the conference, and she was not very promising.

"Every curve of her body screamed at me, "FELINE!" one word I could not stand. She was… How shall I put this? She was rather corpulent, with rolls of flesh pushing the seams of her kimono almost to the breaking point and exploding out of the ends of her tube of an obi. Black cat ears poked through a sculpted wig of hair and wax. Her arms, legs, and tail were coated in what had to be half the gold in her father's treasury; in my opinion, she weighed enough already.

"And the entire time, she behaved like a child, clinging to her father's arm, begging for this and that. The Cat Lord had this desperate look on his face that pleaded, '_Please_, take her off my hands.' I would have laughed had it not been for my dread at having to spend the rest of my life with this woman. As soon as I could bow out politely, I left and almost ran to the courtyard, trying to get some air and wipe my mind of that Cat. The person I met out there did just that.

"She was the Heiress of the North, another newcomer to the convention. Her name was Amarante, Flower that Never Fades. She sat on one of the benches near our koi pond, simply watching the white and orange fishes flit about in the water, apparently as tired of the festivities as I was.

Amarante was by far the most beautiful female I had ever seen. Flaxen hair cascaded down her back, flowing over her pale blue kimono that was stitched with impossibly vibrant and complex flowers peeking out of freshly fallen snow. A pair of soft, tufted, cream-colored ears sat higher on her head than yours or mine, blending smoothly into her long hair. I came up beside her silently.

"'Relaxing to watch, aren't they?' I asked. Amarante jumped up, surprised, and spun around to face me, losing her balance and falling backward toward the pond. I caught one of her flailing arms, pulling her toward me.

Suddenly, our world froze. The koi, having startled at the sudden motion, stopped splashing in the pond, the sounds of the partygoers' laughter faded, and the moon stopped its trek across the stars. She was in my arms, smiling up at me with crystal-blue eyes dancing. If time had stayed frozen forever, that smile could have sustained me for an eternity and on.

"But it didn't stay frozen; our world started again, as abruptly as it had stopped. I released her shyly. I had never held a female before, except for my mother and sister. I had never had reason to.

"I think that both of us understood what had just happened. 'Love at first sight,' some say. And once we had introduced ourselves, we knew we could never act upon it. I was betrothed but not to her, and she was her parents' only heir, destined, even though she was female, to inherit the lands in the North.

"Well, we were young and in love. The conference was the ideal place for us to socialize. As 'youngsters', we were not required to attend the sessions. While our parents were locked in heated debates over this and that, we went to the woods around the mansion, chasing each other through the trees in our animal forms, talking, laughing, and playing as though we were pups instead of the adults that we were soon to discover together.

"We spent the entire week like that, forgetting our troubles, as the conference's end was sneaking up on us. Before we knew it, the closing banquet had rolled around. The attendees were to leave early the next morning, and I had no idea how I was going to say goodbye to Amarante.

"I still had not decided when I took her out to the bench by the koi pond. And there it finally came out.

"'Ame-chan, these past few days have been some of the best in my entire life. But since that first evening when we met, there's been a gnawing, nagging pain deep inside me. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I love you. Can you ever forgive me?' My beloved had been mostly silent all evening, but her next actions spoke louder than any words she could have possibly said. Leaning over, she gently kissed me, then slowly pulled away, leaving me slightly stunned. Her response registered in my mind as an undeniable, all-encompassing yes. I quickly regained my composure and wrapped her in my arms, returning her favor. When we broke our embrace, I stood and, taking her hand, led her to my chambers…"

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If you were wondering why I keep putting quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph, it's because Sesshomaru's speaking. I'm still contemplating taking them out because it's more like I slipped into first person here, but I don't think I will. If it bothers you, let me know. R&R I've got fresh chocolate chip cookies for you if you do!


	6. Chapter 6: In which a night passes

Alright, chapter 6. Jumping back to the present and third person. I loved writing first person Sesshy. It was so odd to try to get into his head and describe things as he would. I get to do it again in the next chapter! Yay!

Rin and Sesshy are property of Takahashi-sensei. Taro and Hoshi are mine. Enjoy!

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"Sesshomaru! What?… I never would have guessed! I never imagined you young and in love." By this time, the sun was setting and the darkness was falling. As soon as the Lord realized this, he stood and announced that he should head home, but he would return in the morning. Rin's sudden protests drew the attention of her son and granddaughter who rushed into the room.

"But, Sesshomaru… Can't you just spend the night here so you can continue with the tale in the morning?" At this, Taro began to object, declaring that he would not allow a demon to spend even one night in his house. A fanged smirk from the Lord caught the troublesome little man's attention and silenced him. Sesshomaru then turned and addressed the person who stood silently just inside the partition.

"Hoshi-chan… What do you think?"

"Me, sir?"

"Yes, you. Should I be allowed to stay, or should I go?"

"If I were given the choice, Milord, I would have you stay. You bring joy to my grandmother. I have never seen her with such a youthful glow."

With an acknowledging nod to the girl, Sesshomaru faced Taro and said, "It seems that your daughter is the only one not letting her prejudices cloud her decision. Therefore, her choice is the one we will follow. I will be staying." The son scowled and spun around, swatting aside the curtain and sending a servant to prepare a bed for the Lord. Back in Rin's chamber, Sesshomaru placed his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Thank you for doing that, Hoshi-chan. I do wish to spend more time with your grandmother. I must finish telling her my tale or she will never be able to rest peacefully. Maybe one day, I might even tell it to you."

The girl looked up and replied, "I would appreciate it, Milord, but now I must fetch my grandmother her dinner." She smiled and left.

The night passed uneventfully, but Sesshomaru could not sleep. He went outside and sat awake under the stars, pondering how he could tell the last half of his tale, wondering and worrying about what Rin would think of him once it was over. He was still thinking when the town cock crowed and drew the rice farmers from their beds.

Sliding from his, he dressed and went to the main fire of the house, where Hoshi sat cooking something far more pleasant-smelling than yesterday's broth. She passed him a bowl filled with a thick, meaty stew on a bed of rice and a cup of tea, which he took with a smile and a bow of thanks. Years earlier, the Lord would have never dreamed of eating human food, but, having practically raised Rin who could never stomach demon food, he had become accustomed to it. He carried his breakfast to Rin's partitioned-off area of the house where she was eating something similar.

After swallowing her mouthful, she turned to Sesshomaru and said, "I hope you slept well last night. I apologize for Taro. He was rather rude."

"It is alright, Rin-chan. I took no offense."

Rin smiled and spoke with a sigh, "You keep calling me 'Rin-chan'. No one has used that particular honorific with me since Kisho died. And you used it long before he did."

"I am just accustomed to calling you that. That was what I would always call you when you were younger, remember?"

"Of course, I remember. I may be old but I'm not senile, you know!" At this, Sesshomaru laughed, a wonderful rumbling chuckle.

"Rin, you always did bring out the best in me…" The pair ate the rest of their breakfast in silence, reminiscing about their youths. Sesshomaru thought of the tale he had to finish telling Rin, and Rin recalled her childhood days spent traversing the countryside with Sesshomaru. When finished, they set aside their bowls, and Sesshomaru continued with his tale:

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I would be honored if anybody felt like illustrating any of this story. I know I'm kinda sucking up but I've really been depressed lately because nobody seems to appreciate the things I pour myself into. Give me your opinions, please. If you hate it, that's fine too, just let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7: In which someone gets kicked

I love this chapter. It's a great bit of happy, and I loved the way it came out.

Amarante is mine. She is awesome and lurf-worthy.

Sesshy belongs to Takahashi Rumiko.

Enjoy the happiness!

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"Alright, where did we finish last night? Oh, yes… I had just taken Amarante to my room. Needless to say, that was the most wonderful night of my young life, but the one that brought the most trouble to it.

"We parted the next morning with a kiss outside my chambers, promising to see each other at my father's conference in another year. For many months, I could think of nothing but Amarante. Mizuki-chan noticed how preoccupied I was and tried to keep my attention on the now, but, no matter how hard she worked to distract me, my mind kept drifting back to that one night. Then, suddenly, I realized just how big the consequences of one love-filled night could be.

"Five months after we parted, I was reunited with my beloved, much sooner than either of us expected. It was the coldest night of that year. A bitter storm blew down from the north, carrying with it a visitor. Amarante arrived at the mansion gates, half-frozen and with a surprise.

"That night, I heard the gate's bell tolling faintly over the blizzard, and, when no one else seemed to notice, I left to check for myself. Dashing across the courtyard, I began to hear someone's voice weakly calling my name. I thought it was my imagination because the voice sounded exactly like Amarante. When I tugged the gate open, I saw a brown-robed figure slumped against the mansion wall with the bell rope clutched in its hands. Going over to the person, I began to ask them their business at the mansion when the wind blew back the robe's hood revealing the cream hair and matching ears of my beloved. I frantically pried the rope from her hands and hoisted her stiff body into my arms, dashing back to the main house, howling for help.

"My father was the first to appear. He quickly barked for the mansion's chief surgeon. I carried Amarante to the infirmary at a run, my father and several confused servants close behind me. When we arrived, I set her on the bed and was shoo-ed out by one of the servants who worked as a nurse in emergencies. I paced the hall outside the room for the rest of the night, trying to figure out what was going on.

"The next morning, the surgeon, an wiry, elderly human woman, came out smiling, with a nod that I could go into the room. There, I found Amarante stretched out under several blankets and wrapped in some of my mother's old kimonos. She slept peacefully, with a gentle smile on her wind-burned face. But something was different. There was an unusual bulge in the blankets at about her waist level. It took a few moments to register. When it did, a thrill rushed through me, and I dropped to my knees by her bed. She was carrying my child. There was no doubt in my mind.

"I sat by her, though for how long I really can't remember, until her eyes fluttered open. Crystal-blue pools cast glances around the room in a frenzied panic until they came to rest on me. Immediately, she calmed, and we wrapped our arms around each other laughing and reveling in our reunion.

"Through my elation, I asked, 'What are you doing here, Ame-chan? And what possessed you to go outside in that blizzard?' My mate stopped laughing abruptly and froze, then gently pushed me away in guilty silence as she slipped from the blankets. Amarante went to the sliding door that led to the outside of the house. She opened it, letting in the surprisingly warm morning sunlight and taking in the view of the snow-covered courtyard. She spun around with tears in her eyes.

"'I came here because I don't have any place else to go.'

"'Why can't you just go back to your family in the north?'

"'As soon as my father discovered that I was pregnant, he disowned me. I can't go home,' she sobbed as she collapsed into a teary heap. I crossed the room and embraced her. She cried into my shoulder, whimpering, 'I told him. I told him everything.'

"'What?' I asked, after letting her cry for a while. 'What did you tell whom?'

"My father. I told him about you, me, us. He will be out for vengeance, I am sure of it.' She stared into my eyes with a disturbing intensity. We sat silently as Amarante calmed herself.

"'I'll talk to my father. I'll persuade him to let you stay. This can be your home now.'

"'Are you sure? Could you really?'

"'Of course! It's my fault that you can't go home, so I'll help get you a new one,' I replied, wiping the tears from her face. She reached up to stroke my hair and kissed me, an experience reminiscent of that night by the koi pond.

"We heard footsteps behind us but were too caught up in our embrace to care. It was only when I heard a familiar someone clearing his throat that I looked up. Father stood in the doorway with one eyebrow cocked and a smirk playing across his face.

"'Come with me,' he said as seriously as he could, leaving the doorway and heading down the hall. Casting a gentle smile back to Amarante, I stood to follow him. We walked back to his chambers in a heavy silence. When I had closed the door behind me, Father slowly turned to face me.

"'Would you care to explain why she is here?'

"Hesitantly, I began recounting the story, starting with the opening banquet for his conference, going on through the days Amarante and I spent together, explaining what happened on the last night, and then telling him what Amarante had just told me only moments before. At that point, I figured that it would be a good time to discuss a home for Amarante.

"'Father, seeing as it's my fault that she was disowned in the first place, I think that she should be allowed to stay here. All I ask is your permission.'

"After several tense moments while he contemplated, Father replied, 'I am pleased that you have realized your fault in this matter. Therefore, she may stay, but only if I see the two of you properly wed. We will have a small private ceremony with just the demons of the household. Though this leaves me with the complicated dilemma of how exactly to break this to the Lord of the East…' He walked to the low desk on the other side of the room, knelt on a cushion, and picked up his calligraphy brush before even noticing that I was still standing there.

"'Well, aren't you going to go tell her?' he asked. Stunned that it was that easy, I stuttered out a quick reply before running back to the infirmary. I found Amarante still staring out at the snow. When I burst through the door, I crossed the room at a run, wrapped her in my arms, spun her in a circle, and kissed her.

"'You can stay. Father says that he will even see us married!' We stood together in a blissful, silent embrace, shedding tears of joy, the bulge of her pregnant belly pressing against me. I suddenly felt a sharp jolt. Amarante gasped.

"'What was that?' I asked, startled and worried.

"'I think the baby's kicking!' I placed a hand upon her stomach, and, sure enough, the child kicked again. We laughed together, and I was in love with her all over again.

* * *

Sesshy kidlet for the win! I love this chappie! Read on! I will warn you, however, if you want a happy ending, stop now.


	8. Chapter 8: In which a war is declared

And here the happiness begins to fade...

Sesshomaru is property of Takahashi-sensei.

Seiji, the chief of security, is a tribute to the sci-fi TV show _Babylon 5_ which came out when I was a kid. I rediscovered it on DVD with my dad about when I was writing this. Seiji is based off of Michael Garibaldi, who is in charge of security on the Babylon 5 space station. Garibaldi and _Babylon 5_ are property of J. Michael Straczynski. If you have any idea what I'm talking about, I'll give you some fresh baked still-gooey chocolate chip cookies.

Everybody else is mine.

Enjoy!

* * *

"'Well, if you are going to stay,' I said, taking her hand, 'I had better take you to meet the rest of the family.' We walked arm-in-arm through the house. I introduced her to the majority of the servants, Father, and finally Mizuki-chan. The two of them had never been introduced at the conference because Mizuki had stayed at the summer palace, as she was too young to attend. They took to each other instantly, which told me that my choice in a mate was a good one. The pair acted like sisters. Mizuki was like a young version of Amarante, a shadow, if you will. I still remember how I would often be called away to deal with some small matter around the household, especially when Father was out. When I came back, Mizuki was always whispering something to Amarante, but she would stop as soon as I walked in the door. The pair would then burst into uncontrollable laughter, which was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. They laughed and laughed until I started in with them.

"Those next four months were the best of my life. During that time, my beloved swelled as our child grew inside her. We were married as per my father's wishes within the first month of her residency. Amarante stayed bright and cheerful and was quite energetic for one in her position, that is, being disowned by her family and heavily pregnant. She would go out with Mizuki and play in the snow, making snowdemons, tossing snowballs, one of which always seemed to head in my general direction when I came to check on them.

"Those four months were also quite tense. Rumors came to us of a threat from the East. The two betrayed Lords, Amarante and Amaya's fathers, were amassing an army of demons and demon slayers to seek vengeance for broken promises. And, try as Father might, he could not slake the Lords' thirst for vengeance. He warned me of the approaching war, but I was too proud to see that I had shattered any hope of peace by following my whims. My thoughts then were only on Mizuki, Amarante, and the unborn child.

"The day that Amarante went into labor was the day my life turned a major corner and not the one you might expect. Earlier that week, Father and I had heard reports that the army of the North and East had finished gathering their forces and were marching for the mansion. While Father traveled the countryside, rallying support from the remaining Lords and leaders in the alliance, I remained at home, half-heartedly preparing the mansion for siege and watching over my beloved.

"Amarante and I were out on our usual after-breakfast walk around the gardens when she suddenly stopped mid-sentence by the koi pond and clapped a hand over her swollen stomach.

"'What's wrong?'

"'I—I think it's time, Sesshomaru…' she said with a quick gasp and 'Yes…Yes, I need to go to the infirmary. Oooh, NOW!' I swept her up with a smile and, at a gentle trot, I carried her to the surgeon's rooms, growling loudly at anyone who got in my way. As with the last time I had done so, upon her return to the mansion, I laid her on the bed and was shoo-ed out by one of the nurses but not before kissing Amarante and wishing her luck. Moments later, as I paced outside, Mizuki came running up to me.

"'Is it true, Sesshomaru-kun? Is Amarante having her baby?'

"'Yes, she is Mizuki-chan.'

"'Would they let me in, do you think?'

"'Go ahead and give try.' Sliding the door open, she slipped in. I waited for a few moments but it seemed that Mizuki was allowed to stay. Heading off down the hall, in a mild daze, I ran across the chief of mansion security, Seiji, a gruff, balding man.

"'He saluted me and, in a gravelly voice, reported, 'Sesshomaru-sama, I just received information from one of our sentinels. They have spotted the enemy, just beyond the nearest village. Your father hasn't gotten back with reinforcements yet, and the army will be here by nightfall. What are your orders, sir?' Completely taken aback, I was viciously yanked out of my happy little world and back into reality. There was a war about to start on my doorstep, and if I gave a damn about those I loved, I would have to defend them. I began barking orders, sending servants and guardsmen scurrying in every direction. Father, wisely, had a small contingent of troops housed in the mansion at all times. So, while I was practicing and warming up for battle with the soldiers, servants were preparing the mansion for siege.

"Through all of this Amarante labored on. I never got the chance to go check on her with all of the preparations to be made but I often caught snatches from passing servant girls who had just stopped at the infirmary to acquire various medical supplies for the triage center that was being set up in the main hall. What I was able to gather was that the birth was going fine, a little slow but nothing fatal. So I returned my mind to the upcoming battle."

* * *

Bring tissues for the next chapter. It's sad and long. I will be crying here in a few moments as I start working on editing it.


	9. Chapter 9: In which certain people die

The end of Sesshomaru's tale and the final answer. Happiness has died, and I killed it.

Ame-chan, Mizuki, and Kiyoshi mine, and I blame myself for what happens to them.

Sesshomaru belongs to Takahashi-sensei, who I thank profusely for leaving the question of Sesshomaru's past open for my tragic attempts at answering it.

I hope you are equipped with tissues.

* * *

"The rest of the day passed in a nervous blur. I had never before commanded an army, even so small a one as ours, in battle before. I wasn't sure what to expect. I remember standing there waiting for the enemy forces to come marching up the cobbled walk along the cliff's edge. The cliff was one of our advantages. It would be fairly easy to push enemy soldiers over the precipice to be dashed to pieces against the craggy seashore below. We were not sure what kind of demons the enemy would have on their side. The two Lords would of course be there, and they were the greatest of their kinds, a massive ash-colored Wolf and a gigantic ebony Panther. They were likely to have a large number of human samurai and demon slayers with them. No matter how one would count it, our tiny fifty-demon army was completely outnumbered.

"We waited for what seemed like days and, just as the sun disappeared over the horizon, one of our scouts signaled that he could see the enemy. It wasn't long before the glow of their torches came into view, hiking up the zigzagging path that led to the cliff-top. As they closed in on the mansion gates, I saw the thread of my life rewinding before my very eyes. I suddenly experienced an emotion that I had not felt since my childhood: fear. I was afraid for myself, for Mizuki, for Amarante, for my child.

"And then the battle began. There was no bantering between commanders; we had nothing to say to each other. The enemy simply charged and began smashing away at the gates. Eventually, they broke through, despite the rain of arrows that my men fired over the walls. The enemy began hacking at our troops who, in turn, began hacking back. And that was the way it went; I won't bore you with specific details. We fought and fought hard, but we were no match for these opponents. They drove us back to the main building of the mansion, backed against the front door and surrounded on all sides. Several small contingents of the enemy rounded the house and entered from the back. Moments later, the mansion erupted into flames, set by marauding soldiers as they raided it. There must have been twenty-five of us left. We were pinned down. It was all we could do to stay alive.

"Then, I heard it; a familiar voice screaming over the din of the battle.

"'Run, Mizuki! Go! Don't let them catch you!' a woman's voice called. A loud signal howl followed. I spun in the midst of combat toward the sound. The shadow of a young girl ran across the snow, holding a bundle to its breast. In that instant, I heard the shriek of arrows, and the figure collapsed with a heart-piercing scream, as a spray of liquid red beads blanketed the snow around her. In her place lay a crumpled heap with arrow shafts protruding from its back, surrounded by a starburst of stained snow. I roared and spun, eyes flashing, all-encompassing rage filling my every pore, driving my every movement. Somehow, through the hazy detachment of the battle mindset, I realized what had just happened, and it was my turn for vengeance.

"I cut through the battlefield, hunting for two figures, the Lords of the North and East. I found them, standing off from the raging battle in the once beautiful gardens of my home, congratulating each other on their victory close-at-hand, quite distracted and surprisingly easy to pick off.

Once clear of the fighting, I marched in their direction and stopped before them. The fire of the mansion cast me into shadow, so all the Lords saw was a panting, bristling silhouette, dripping with the blood of those who stood in its way. They knew not who I was, but I had the satisfaction of seeing the looks of terror on their faces, illuminated by brilliant firelight, as I lunged and tore into them, their blood staining my clothes and silver hair.

"As the light faded from the Lords' eyes, I hissed at them, 'That was for Mizuki-chan,' and left them to die, cold and alone. My rage dissipated, and my heart hardened as I headed back into the fray to aid my nigh-destroyed army. Almost an hour later, Father arrived with reinforcements, helping us finish off the last of their soldiers.

"By the time the moon set that evening, the mansion was reduced to smoldering embers, and the enemy was defeated. Seiji came looking for me. I sat on the bench by the frozen koi pond, uncontrollably shaking, not wanting to see any more but knowing that I would have to.

"'Milord, a she-Wolf is giving us some trouble. Could you help us with her?' I half-heartedly rose and followed him, across the ruined gardens, past broken trees and dead bodies. We walked until I came upon a large knot of survivors armed with spears and torches. Coming from their midst, I could hear a low, strained growling. Tiredly, I pushed through the throng until I stopped dead at the sight of the scene before me.

"Illuminated by torchlight, a familiar Wolf circled the body I had seen shot down earlier. The Animal had a deep bleeding gash on its side, a badly broken hind leg, and chunks of cream fur missing, others matted with blood. At the sight of me, she stopped circling and stared with teary eyes.

"I dropped to my knees and whispered, 'Oh, Amarante, what have they done to you?' She limped over to me and collapsed into my lap, struggling to transform back into her human shape. We waited in silence as she changed, a mangled, broken figure upon my lap.

"'I tried, Sesshomaru,' she whispered. 'I tried to keep Mizuki and the baby safe. When those men invaded the infirmary, they—they killed the surgeon, I tried to send her out with the baby, but—but they saw and—and called to the archers to shoot her. I tried, I—I tried.'

"I gently shushed her. 'You did the best you could. It'll be all right, you'll see.'

"'I tried—to protect them. If there was any chance that they were alive, I—I protected them.'

"Tears filled my eyes. 'Yes—yes you did.' Her eyes began to slowly shut, bloodied lids obscuring glazed crystal orbs.

"Her final breath, 'I—I wi—will for—ever love you, Sesshomaru…' My name came in a sigh, oddly serene. I threw my head back and howled from the bottom of what was left of my heart and let my voice reduce to a growl, then a whimper, then terrible, disgraceful sobs.

"I sat, curled in the middle of the dead gardens with Amarante's still form on my lap, crying onto a chest that would never breathe again. The crowd dissipated, leaving me alone with the shattered remnants of my ruined family. Father came to me and was beginning to say something, but stopped, and, instead, dropped into the snow beside me and stroked my head as though I were a pup again, back when Mother died. We sat there for hours, until my tears died forever.

"When I finally pulled myself from Amarante's breast, I realized that the pile that once was Mizuki had been moved. Father then spoke.

"'Neither of them survived. Mizuki and your son. Both were killed on the same arrows. At least, it was quick. They didn't suffer.'

"I stood, drawing away from my father, settling my Ame-chan's still form in the red snow. I laughed in a painfully wry tone, 'You tell me they didn't suffer. You weren't there. You didn't hear her. If you had heard her scream, you wouldn't be saying that.' I pounded my fists onto my head and roared, 'I can't get that sound out of my mind!' My arms dropped to my sides, and I roared from every fiber of my being at whatever gods floated in the skies, spiting my existence. I howled until my voice cracked and shattered, until I could barely manage a whimper. Several moments passed as I waited for my throat to calm. I quickly decided that I shouldn't have to hold back any more. I continued, yelling with my ragged vocal cords, 'But, no, you didn't hear her. You weren't there. If you had come earlier, they would still be alive. The only reason those bastards even got into the mansion was because we were pinned down! They went around! If you had been there, they wouldn't have even gotten through the gates! You couldn't even come in time to save your own daughter! And now my family is dead, right along with her!' I stopped, seething, planning what to say next.

"Father clenched the hand on his knee into a fist, staring at the bloody snow before him, avoiding my eyes. 'I'm sorry.'

"I scoffed, 'You know, you're just like Mother.' He turned to look at me, shock and confusion flashing across his face. 'You weren't there for Mizuki when she needed you the most.' I turned and headed away from the horrible scene, trying to clear my head.

"As dawn pressed itself upon my barren world, I awoke to the change in me. I was different; no longer an adolescent but a man, one who had lost everything. Everyone that I had loved in this world was now gone. I had no one left to fight for. I had lost all will to survive. My heart had hardened and would never completely thaw. No more tears would flow down my cheeks, ever. The world turned its back on me, and I responded in kind.

"We honored Mizuki, Amarante, and the child, whom I named Kiyoshi, on the night of the next full moon as was required for the yokai funerary rites. I buried them all with my own hands, as I would not let anyone else perform the rituals. Their graves stand in a row on the cliff overlooking the western sea.

"My relationship with my father was never the same again. It became a competition between us. He avoided me as much as possible, and I suppose our relationship-gone-foul was part of the reason he went off and had my half-brother. I wished to follow Father's Way of Supreme Conquest and take possession of his three swords, Sounga, Tetsusaiga, and Tenseiga. I was confident that I could do better things with the power that came from the Way than my father had ever done. My main concern after the massacre of my family was revenge. I believed that the power of Supreme Conquest would help me to that end…

"So you wanted to know why I took you in. There's your story. I'll give you tonight to figure out what to make of it. But, I really must go. I have matters to attend to at the mansion. I will return in the morning."

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If you have any thoughts whatsoever, I want to hear them. Please...


	10. Chapter 10: In which truth becomes clear

It's not quite as depressing from here on out.

I would put my usual disclaimer here but I don't have the heart right now. I'm kinda sleepy and depressed after my late night last night. It's 12:35 AM, and I'm listening to some really relaxing OCRemix stuff. If you really need the disclaimer, just look through all the old chapters.

* * *

The sun was setting once again as Sesshomaru hurriedly stood to leave. Rin sat in contemplative silence as the Lord bid her goodbye and pushed his way through the curtains, past the hearth where Hoshi prepared dinner.

"Milord, wait," the girl's voice called from behind him. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he stopped and turned to face her.

"Milord, won't you stay…" She stopped mid-sentence when she caught sight of something she would never forget. Catching the dancing firelight like a pair of polished yellow diamonds, the eyes of the usually emotionless Lord glistened with tears.

"Yes, Hoshi-chan?"

"Um… Nothing… Never mind." With a slight, acknowledging tilt of his head at Hoshi, Sesshomaru continued on his path to the door. He saddled up his mount and, within minutes, was galloping back to the mansion.

Dodging Jaken's annoyingly worried cries, he dismounted in the courtyard of his home. As he walked briskly through the gardens, his flapping kimono sleeves startled the orange-and-white fish that swam in slow, lazy circles in their pond. But there he stopped in his tracks, the twilit breeze toying with his hair.

Fiercely blinking, he turned and stared at a worn stone bench on the edge of the fishpond. Scenes played out before his eyes. A beautiful young woman in his arms for the first time, their first kiss and the romantic escapade to his chambers, the same woman some months later, heavily pregnant, being carried to the hospital wing, then himself sitting on the bench, blood-spattered and battle-weary, his head in his hands.

Sesshomaru found himself growling at the saline rivulets flowing from his eyes down his face, a sign of weakness to him. He turned in a whirl of colorless hair and red-tipped sleeves toward the west, following the paved path that led to the mansion cemetery.

"Finally," he said, after a few moments of silence, to no one in particular except maybe the three stone markers along the cliff face or the lingering souls of those whose graves they marked. "Finally, I have earned my revenge… But is that enough?" He sat in the grass. "Is it enough to simply destroy the physical manifestation of my grief, or must I do something more? What more debts are there for me to repay?" He closed his eyes with a sigh. Sesshomaru sat pensively for a few moments before opening his eyes again. The middle stone drew his attention, and he suddenly knew what to do. Standing, he respectfully bowed to the markers and made his way back to the mansion.

* * *

Grrrrr... This FFX ending credits music is really putting me to sleep and providing the perfect mood music for me right now. Maybe next edit, I need to start doing something I've thought about for awhile, adding a soundtrack, music to have run in the background while reading the chapter. What do you think? I'm pretty sure I'll do it with the next fic I'm working on. Does anybody want to see a soundtrack for this story?


	11. Chapter 11: In which someone else dies

It's 1:05 AM, and I've caught my second wind. Dunno how long it'll last but we'll see.

I own the random villagers, Hoshi, and Taro. Everybody else is property of Takahashi-sensei.

Lurfz and enjoy, there's more sadness in this chapter so be warned.

* * *

By the time sunrise came, Sesshomaru had already risen and was walking slowly down the path to the village. The road ran for several miles between the mansion's high perch and Rin's village, zigzagging along the narrow switchbacks that crawled down the cliff face, cutting through the forest that pressed itself against the craggy shore, and across the flooded rice fields that some of the villagers operated.

Sesshomaru quickly noticed, as he was passing through the fields, that something was not right. The farmers should have been working their fields already, but there was not a soul to be seen. Before too long, he heard the subtle din of discussion coming from the crowd that had gathered main square of the village. The Lord's keen ears caught snatches of the conversations.

"He should be commin' out soon to make the announcement."

"And now he claims it's all the girl's fault, the poor thing."

"That lady was a blessing to the entire village, she was."

"Aye, but her bringin'-up was mighty strange."

"'Tis a terrible shame to lose the likes o' her."

Sesshomaru passed by indifferently, striding purposefully toward Taro's residence. Several yards down the street from his destination, the Dog Lord's keen ears caught raised voices and sobbing screams. He sped up to a run and rounded the corner into the courtyard just in time to see Taro's upraised fist swing down, catching Hoshi in the jaw and sending her lurching backwards to land in a crying heap. Sprinting across the yard, Sesshomaru came up behind Hoshi's father and twisted the man's arm up behind his back.

The Dog Lord moved his face, which had begun to take on canine proportions, to within an inch of Taro's ear. Eyes flashing red, he growled, a jaw full of malicious fangs snapping, an image formidable and menacing.

"One such as you does not deserve to live, but I shall have it be known that I am merciful. The girl is now under my protection. Now, you will take me to the Lady Rin."

"I am afraid that is impossible, Milord," Hoshi's voice whimpered as she examined the damage dealt to her jaw. "Grandmother—" She choked back a sob. "Grandmother passed last night." There was one single still moment when all rage faded from Sesshomaru's eyes. But it ended as abruptly as it had begun when the Lord suddenly wrenched Taro's arm up behind the smaller man's back again harder.

"Do you think that gives you the right to strike her like that?" He barked loudly in the man's ear. Silence rang through the courtyard. "Speak!"

"Her job was to keep an eye on my mother last night," Taro began quickly. "If something were to go wrong, she was to summon the village priestess, who possesses the most medicinal knowledge of anyone hereabout. But she did not do any such thing and, as such, deserves punishment."

Loudly growling in Taro's ear, Sesshomaru dropped the man's arm and marched into the house to Rin's chambers. He spotted her frail, shrouded body on the mattress where she had sat the night before, with rapt attention to the tragic chronicle of his life. He drew the Tenseiga and held it before him over Rin's body. In his mind, he pleaded with the blade, _Please; work again for me_. But the weapon would not pulse. His mother had been right when she had last seen him: Tenseiga could not work twice on any one mortal. The Dog Lord reluctantly sheathed his sword and resigned himself to the plain, horrible truth. Hoisting Rin's almost stiff body into his arms, he left Taro's home for the last time.

"Come, Hoshi-chan," he called back as he turned the corner onto the street. Hoshi stood for several seconds in stunned silence.

"If you leave me, girl," Taro called from where he massaged his wrenched shoulder. "If you leave me, there's no coming back. Are you really going to trust that demon," he spat the word with appalling disdain, "with your well-being?"

Plucking up her courage, Hoshi replied, "If he was good enough for Grandmother, then he's good enough for me." Though it hurt her beaten jaw, she smiled broadly and ran off after the Dog Lord, leaving her father alone in the dusty courtyard before his house.

She ran until she finally caught up with Sesshomaru just before the path opened onto the square. The villagers frantically made a path for the bristling demon stalking silently in their direction. He marched through the crowds with Hoshi at his heels. In silence, the pair walked along the road leading to the mansion.

The sun was high overhead when they arrived at the mansion gates. Hoshi was awed by the enormity of the place. From the main house, Jaken darted at a waddling run to where the Lord and the girl waited. As soon as he saw Hoshi, Jaken slumped.

"Please tell me, Milord, have we taken in another one?"

"Jaken, this is Hoshi, Rin's granddaughter. Take her into the house. See that she is properly fed and her wounds are taken care of. She will be staying in the mansion for quite some time. I must prepare myself for the rituals."

"Yes, Milord. Might I inquire as to which rituals?"

"Funerary rituals. Now leave me." Jaken and Hoshi headed off into the mansion, leaving Sesshomaru alone in the gardens. Shortly, he followed them, carrying Rin's body to his chambers. The Lord spent the next several hours meditating alone while servants prepared Rin's body for a burial befitting a Lady of the Western Lands.

* * *

I loved writing Jaken at the end of this chapter. I just love how pathetic the poor toad looks in my mind when I see him slump at the sight of Hoshi.

You're almost there. Two chapters left!


	12. Chapter 12: In which there is a funeral

This is it. The explanation and the end.

Sesshomaru and Rin still belong to Takahashi-sensei, everybody else is still mine!

Lurfz to you all who have seen this story through. You can end it after this chapter if you want to. I kinda added the epilogue as an afterthought when I was originally writing it. If you like ending it here, you don't have to read the next chapter. I actually had the last paragraph of this chapter planned out before I was even halfway through the story. Read on!

* * *

The sun was on the horizon by the time Sesshomaru, carrying Rin's body and a stone marker, walked slowly, pensively to the cliff-top cemetery. Once there, he set her down and transformed into his true self. One sweep from a massive paw dug a pit long enough and deep enough for her grave. Changing back, Sesshomaru placed Rin's richly dressed body in its place. For several moments, he was silent, unsure of what to do next. Suddenly, Sesshomaru began to speak to the western sea and the horizon, as though Rin's spirit was somewhere beyond it, listening back and waiting for him to say something.

"I don't know if you found the connection between my tale and your story, so I'll tell you. When Mizuki died, I felt that I had failed her. I lived for almost two hundred years with that feeling of regret. Then I met you and everything was completely changed. In my mind, you were a way to relieve the pain in my suffering heart. When you found me wounded and alone in the forest, you kept trying to help me even though I wanted to bury myself in my problems and turn you away, much as I had with Mizuki's attempts to draw me out of my pensive solitude before Ame-chan's return. I wonder if you felt a kind of kinship for me, as you had lost all of your family just like me. At first, you were simply someone to fill the physical void where Mizuki had been, the devoted little sister tagging at my heels, but then I guess I became attached to you; you became an adopted sister for me to care for, as I would have with Mizuki. I was able to watch you grow and change and marry and have children of your own, phases that my adolescent stupidity stole from my sister." The Lord sighed. "So now you know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I just wasn't ready." He stood, immersed in the twilight's dark, as Hoshi came up beside him. She looked down on the grave with tear-filled eyes.

Taking her hand, Sesshomaru continued, "I suppose you already knew the way Hoshi was treated by her father. But, I have taken her away from all of that and she will now be raised as a Lady of the Western Lands, much as you were. We will never forget you, Grandmother and Sister. Never forget us." He planted the grave marker into the rocky soil at the head of the grave, and let go of Hoshi's hand. Slowly, the Lord transformed into his canine self.

The girl absorbed the scene through brimming eyes. Before her, Sesshomaru slowly scraped pawfuls of dirt across Rin's peaceful body, devotedly howling his loved one's name to the crystal blue moon, as starlight and moonlight silver-cast the row of markers along the cliff's edge. Each bore a name of lost love, buried by still-mourning hands. _ Amarante_, _Mizuki_, _Kiyoshi_, _Rin_.

* * *

If you want to stop here, lurfz. If you want to continue, lurfz now and lurfz later. Enjoy whatever ending you chose!


	13. Epilogue: In which a story is told again

As previously stated, this chapter is kinda an afterthought. I didn't really plan it until after I had finished the rest of the story. It felt like it wanted more so I wrote it!

Same disclaimer as always.

Lurfz and lurfz and lurfz to all who stuck through to the end. You have stayed with me, and I thank you.

PS. If you're looking for something to read next, try "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe. I read it for the first time shortly after finishing this fic, and the stories are actually quite similar which shocked me. If you read it and can see the similarities, kudos.

PPS. Keep me in mind in the future. I'm working out the storyline for a sequel to this fic, set in the distant future in a _Firefly_-esque universe (I love you, Joss Whedon!). I've got the first chapter pretty much done but I'm not quite happy with it yet. The sequel might pan out it might not. We'll see.

That's all from me. Enjoy this epilogue and keep me in mind in the future. Arigato gozaimasu!

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It was a bright, sunny morning in early spring. Sesshomaru waited by the mansion gates as a small procession made its way up the winding path. Half of the mansion's servants had turned out to celebrate the return of their Lady. The man at the head of the group that marched up the path signaled for the rest to wait. By his side was a brightly smiling young woman. She broke from the procession and ran to Sesshomaru.

He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same as he whispered into her ear, "Welcome home, Hoshi-chan."

"Sesshomaru-sama, I've missed you." They embraced for a few moments. Then, Hoshi turned and beckoned to the pair at the head of the procession, who came up beside her. One was a tall man who appeared only a little older than Sesshomaru looked. The other was a quiet girl of no more than fifteen, bouncing a small mass of red silk in her arms.

"I'm not sure if the two of you ever met," Hoshi said to the Lord. "Sesshomaru, this is Takehiko, my husband. Takehiko, this is the man who raised me, the Dog Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshomaru."

The young man bowed to the Lord. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Likewise, Takehiko-san. I trust you have been taking good care of Hoshi."

"But of course, Milord." As he was saying this, Hoshi stepped back and guided the shy girl to stand beside Takehiko.

"Sesshomaru-sama, I would like to introduce you to Shika, my lady-in-waiting."

"An honor, young lady," Sesshomaru said, slightly bowing to the girl. Shika ducked her head and turned away shyly.

"She doesn't like meeting new people. Please don't take it personally, Milord," Hoshi explained.

"Not at all. Come inside, please," Sesshomaru said as he turned to lead them toward the main house. They made their way across the gardens to the koi pond where Jaken waited.

"Takehiko-san, this is my vassal, Jaken. I will have him give you a tour of the grounds while I talk with your wife."

"Of course, Milord. It was a pleasure meeting you." The man bowed deeply to Sesshomaru and followed the small green creature off toward the main house.

Sesshomaru turned to the pair of women and gestured to the benches around the pond, saying, "Please, sit." Hoshi took the silken bundle from Shika who left to join the procession as it made its way to the house. Hoshi carried the heap of scarlet cloth to the bench where Sesshomaru now sat, placing herself beside him.

"Sesshomaru-sama, I would also like to introduce you to Kaida, my daughter." She held up the bundle, showing the Dog Lord its contents. Peeking from among the pleats of fabric was a tiny face. Ebony locks curled over a gently sloping forehead. Chubby cheeks flushed pink in the early spring breeze. The bright smile, obviously something she inherited from her mother, was still all gums. The child was adorable, but her eyes caught the Dog Lord's attention. Almond-shaped orbs of brown and gold sparkled in the morning sunshine. A familiar playful glint flashed in the infant's eye. As Kaida's eyes flickered across his face, memories flooded into the Lord's mind: a name and a face with the same mischievous luster in the eyes. Rin. Sesshomaru took Kaida from her mother. He held the child in his arm and whispered to her.

"You have the eyes of a strong woman and a name that commands respect, Little Dragon. I believe that you will live up to the reputation of both of them." The Lord turned to address Hoshi. "Kaida is wonderful. If I had a daughter, I could only wish for one such as her."

"Well, seeing as you practically raised me, she could almost be considered your granddaughter. Or even your great-granddaughter if you really wanted to go that far back." Sesshomaru held the child to his chest, gently growling, a sound that came out as almost a purr. Lulled by the soothing vibrations, the girl was soon calmly sleeping in his arms.

"Sesshomaru-sama, you have a way with children," Hoshi laughed with awe, staring at her slumbering child and the aloof being she almost called Father. "You raised my grandmother and I so well. Why did you never start a family of your own?" Sesshomaru abruptly stopped purring.

"I almost did," he said quietly. "But, before my dream was completely realized…it was all taken from me."

"Is that the story you told Grandmother before she died?"

"Yes."

"Well, you promised to tell it to me one day."

"Did I?"

"Yes, you did. Please, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Alright, Hoshi-chan. I have only ever told this to your grandmother. It will be our secret. Let's start at the very beginning. Several hundreds of years before you were even born." Hoshi brought in her legs to sit cross-legged on the bench, leaning forward intently and grinning. When she cast off all the poise and postures of ladylike behavior, Hoshi was cast in a brilliantly different light, as though she were a child again. And somehow, this time, the story came a little easier for Sesshomaru.

"As you know the ruling family of the Western Lands is an Inu clan…"

Sesshomaru poured his story out to Hoshi and the sleeping Kaida, as he would with every generation thereafter. Sesshomaru became the protector of Rin's bloodline, acting as guardian for female descendants of Rin, Hoshi, and Kaida. To each generation, he told his story, a legend that would never die, so long as Sesshomaru was still around to share it.

_**The End... **_


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